Girl Scout Troop 60089 stood before the Hickory Hills City Council with brightly colored poster boards and prepared presentations, asking for help.

They asked. And they received. The council couldn't say no.

With a motion from Alderman Thomas McAvoy, the city council donated $250 from the city’s $2,500 in discretionary funds to the troop last Thursday night. The girls can use the funds to buy some of the necessary supplies they requested they need in order to help with their remodeling project of their community scout room.

Morgan Sukalo, Morgan Purtill, Katrina Pavloski, Anna Danko, Rachael Stawinski, Madison Sukalo and Riley Groark were there to make their pleas to the council.

“Their presentation was flawless,” Mayor Mike Howley said, “None of them even seemed nervous coming before the city council.”

The girls were not planning on receiving a donation from the city council at the meeting, and explained they were going to come back and ask for the deficient after collecting donations from local businesses, family and friends.However, they were more than happy as they smiled and gave a board an enthusiastic, “Thank you!”

The seven scouts explained to the city council they would like to make improvements to their community room, located at 8047 W. 91st Place, to have it be a more warm, welcoming, comfortable, joyful and quiet environment. The girls added they are in need of several supplies, including: paint, paint brushes, paint rollers, rags, a chalkboard or whiteboard, a television, rugs, chairs, tables and storage shelves.

The scouts told the council they will be doing all of the remodeling themselves.

Painting the community room will allow for the scouts to earn their Bronze Award. The girls have chosen to paint the room yellow and green. They said the color yellow makes a person feel happy and cheerful, making them think of sunshine and summer; and green is a calming color that makes a person feel relaxed and welcome, reminding them of nature and peaceful feelings.

The girls also requested for Wi-Fi to be available in the downstairs meeting room of the center and Alderman Mike McHugh said the council has been working to get Wi-Fi to them as soon as possible.

The girls presented several poster boards displaying what they call “vision boards” of what their final project would look like once it is complete.

SUBHEAD -- Salt supply shrinking

Hickory Hills is struggling with its salt supply. The frequent snowfall events taking place throughout Illinois this winter have been hitting the city’s salt supply hard.Hickory’s Public Work’s Director Larry Boettcher said snowfall throughout the city has totaled over 45 plus inches.

“The snow often isn’t coming in large snowstorms, it’s coming in these one to two inches of snow that accumulate during minor snowstorms that require salt are diminishing our city’s salt supply,” he said.

The first few weeks of February has seen Hickory use up last year’s salt surplus, along with 70 percent of the current allocations for this year.

“Our public works department will need to purchase additional salt at market prices after what we have in our bins is gone,” Boettcher said.

Illinois State salt purchase currently is at less than $50 a ton; however the city is unable to get a firm market price. Boettcher said he is keeping in contact with city suppliers for pricing, aware the city will need to purchase more salt before the winter season is over.